Heating apparatus



Oct. 7, 1952 v, THURSTQN 2,613,312

HEATING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 2. 1950 IINVENTOR Vinc|l Dole ThursfonATTORN EY Patented Oct. 7, 1952 HEATING APPARATUS Vinal Dale Thurston,Mansfield, Ohio, assign to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, EastPittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 2,1950, Serial No. 193,620

This invention relates to flanged couplings, but more particularly to aflanged coupling for a tank wall or the like.

Electrically heated water tanks having immersion heaters of the sheathedtype are currently in common use and widely known. To permit replacementof the heater, the heater is provided with a mounting plate, by means ofwhich it is detachably held in the tank, the wall being provided with aflanged coupling member against which the mounting plate is held bybolts. Generally, the flange of the coupling member is .providedwithtapped holes for receiving the bolts. The tanks, complete with thecoupling. members, are often stored outside by the manufacturer untilneeded. .The exposure to the weather causes the threads to rust and theholes to be clogged with corrosion. Therefore, it is often necessary toretap the holes before the tanks can be used.

Also, in assembling the mounting plate of the heater to the couplingmember, the threads on the bolts or the coupling member are occasionallystripped or a bolt is broken, necessitating additional expense forrepairs.

It has been proposed to provide a conventional coupling member in whichthe flange is formed with a plurality of radially disposed slots,thereby eliminating the above-mentioned problem. With thisarrangement,the bolts are placed in the slots with their heads next to the tank walland their threaded portions extending forwardly to receive the matingnuts. Difficulty has been encountered when installing a heater on a tankin service, since the lower bolts must be manually held in alignment toreceive the mounting plate of the heater. Otherwise, the bolts will fallout of the slots which are open at the bottom. The tank is provided witha layer of insulating material, such as glass wool; an opening beingprovided around the coupling member to permit replacement of the heateras mentioned above. However, the opening in the insulation isnecessarily small, making manipulation of parts a tedious andpainstaking operation.

In view of the above, it is an object of the invention to provide acoupling member which will retain the mounting bolts in their properlocations during assembly.

A more specific object is toprovide a coupling member adapted to bemounted with the surface of its flange disposed in a vertical plane andprovided with a plurality of slots, each of the slots being arranged insuch a manner as to receive and support a bolt. in proper position,whereby the mounting plate of .an electric heater or the 7 Claims. (01.219-3s 2 I like may be clamped thereto with comparative ease.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparentfrom the following description and claims taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which: 3 v

Fig. l is a front elevation showing my invention embodied in anelectrically heated water tank, only a fragmentary portion of the tankwall bein shown;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the parts in exploded position, afragmentary portion of the tank wall being shown;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view coupling member; and 1 Y Fig. i is afragmentary rear elevation of the flanged coupling member.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is shown an electricheating unit [0 fastened to the vertical wall l2 of a watertank. Theheating unit-is of the well-known type generally known as an immersionheater, having a U-shaped sheathed heating element l4 extendinghorizontally through an opening [6 in th tank wall and being adapted tobe immersed in water contained therein. Thus, the heating element isadapted to heat Water by direct conduction.

An annular coupling member [8' is attached to the tank in registry withthe opening [6 and serves as the mounting means for fastening theheating unit Ill in fluid-tight relation with the tank. As best shown inFig. 3, the coupling member has a central tubular portion 20 and avertically disposed peripheral flange 22 disposed at one end of thetubular portion. The other end of the tubular portion has a peripheralshoulder 24 to facilitate proper positioning of the tubular portion 20within the tank opening IS. The cou*- pling member may be fastened tothe tank wall in any desirable manner, for example, by welding as shownat 26.v

The flange 22 of the coupling member is provided with a pair of upperslots 28 and a pair of lower slots, 30 spaced substantiallyequidistantly and disposed "above and below the horizontal centerline ofthe tubular portion, respectively. The upper slots 28 are open at theirupper ends and extend'downwardly in a radial direction toward theirclosed ends. Each lower slot 30 is open at its upper end and extendsdownwardly toward its closed end on a centerline A--A which is disposedat an angle with'the horizontal.

The heating unit has a circular mounting plate 32 fastened adjacentits.terminals and of the flanged flange 22- and the tank wall l2.

provided with four holes 36 arranged to align with the slots 28 and 30in the coupling member. The mounting plate 32 is held in clampedposition against the coupling member l8 by a plurality of nuts 31 andbolts 38. The tubular portion of the coupling member i provided with aflat chordal surface portion 39 disposed adjacent each of'the slots 28and 30. The bolts 38 are provided with square heads 40 of suchdimensions that when the bolts are inserted in the mounting plate 32,the heads abut the flat portions 39 and are prevented from turningthereby. It will be noted from the drawings that the space between theflange 22 and the tank wall I2 is less than the length of the bolts andthat the slots 28 and 30 permit placing the bolts with their headsdisposed between the flange22 and the tank wall.

A gasket 4!, having clearance holes for the bolts and the heatingelement [4, may be interposed between the' mounting plate 32 and thecoupling member to insure a fluid-tight fit. An annular clamping ring 42may also be provided to distribute the pressure-of the bolts 38 on themounting plate.

To facilitate connecting the heating. unit. to. a source of power, acircular terminal block. 44 is attached to the mounting plate in anymanner desired (not shown) andwire leads arev brought out from theterminals andattached to appropriate terminal screws 43.

Assembly To assemble the heating unit to the tank, the bolts 38 areplaced in the slots 28 and 30 with their heads 40 disposed between. thecoupling Since, as previously described, the slots are closed at thebottom and extend upwardly toward their open ends, the bolts 38 willbeheld against the closed'ends of the slots by the action of gravity. Inthis position, the bolts are. properly located to receive successivelythe gasket 41, the mounting plate 32 of the heating unit and theclamping ring 42. It will be noted that the flat portions. 39 of'thecoupling member aid in retaining the belts in their proper position byabutting the bolt heads 40 and limiting the tilting efiect on the.bolts. Thus, gravity acts to hold the. bolts in thebettoin of the slotsand the bolt heads against the fiat portions 39, minimizing. thenecessity for manually holding the bolts during assembly. The nuts3l'may' then be threaded on the bolts to com.- press the gasket againstthe face of the coupling flange 22 to prevent. leakage of: watertherethrough. The fiat portions. further serve to' prevent rotation ofthe bolts while they are being tightened and eliminate the necessityfor. applying a wrench to. the same, as well understood in the art.

To replace. a heating unit; the structure may be disassembled byreversing the above sequence of operations and assembling a new heatingunit as previously described. Since the bolts are automatically heldinth'eproper position by'the slots 28' and 30, the assembly operation issimplified and may. be accomplished by any service man without the useof special tools or fixtures, even though the tank may be located insuch a positionasto hamper free use of both hands.

'While I have: shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is nots'o limited, but is susceptibleof various. changes and modifications withoutdepartingii'omthe-spiritthereof.

What I claim is:

1. A coupling member having a tubular portion and a peripheral flangedisposed adjacent one end of said tubular portion, said flange beingadapted to assume an operative position in a vertical plane and having aplurality of peripherally spaced slots, at least two of said slots beingdisposed below the horizontal centerline ofisaid tubular' portion, saidcoupling member being adapted to be coupled to a mating member by a boltreceived in each of said slots, and said slots being closed at theirbottom ends and extending upwardly therefrom at an angle to thehorizontal to thereby retain the bolts in position to receive saidmating member.

2. A coupling member having a tubular portion and a peripheral flangedisposed adjacent one end of said tubular portion, said flange beingadapted to assume an operative position in a vertical plane and having aplurality of peripherally spaced slotsincluding at leasttwolowerslotsdisposed below the horizontal. centerline; of. said tubular portion,said coupling member. bein adapted to be coupled tea mating member by abolt received in each of. said slots, said tubular portion havingasurfaceportion adjacent. each of aid lower slots arranged to abut. theheadsorsaid bolts to. thereby prevent tilting; or rotation oisaid bolts,said slots extending. upwardly at aniangle to the; horizontal and beingvclosed at theirbot tom ends. to thereby retain the boltsin'positlon toreceive said mating member.

3; In combination, a: coupling member; and a mating member adaptedtobeclampeito said coupling member,v said coupling member having a.tubular portionand afiange portiondisposed; adjacentone end of saidtubular portion, said flange being adapted to assume anoperativeposition in a vertical. plane and' having upper. and lowerslots, said upper slots being disposed? above! the horizontal centerlineof said tubular portionsand said lowerslots being disposed below saidcenterline, each of said." slotsbeingadapted tosreceivefa bolt forclamping said coupling andsaid mating member. together, each of saidslots having? an open end and a closed end 'andextending: downwardlyfrom. said open end to said closed endat an angle to the. horizontaltothereby retain. the belts in position to receive saldmating member;

4; A coupling member having a tubular portion and. a flange portiondisposed adjacent one/end of said tubular portion,isaid flange being.adapted to assume an operative positionzin. avertical plane and having:at least two peripherally spaced slots,.each' of said slots beingdisposed below: the horizontal centerline. of. said tubular portion'landon opposite sides of the vertical centerlineotsal'd tubular: portion,said coupling; member being adapted to be coupledto a mating member by abolt received in each of said'slots, said SlOfiSzBX- tending, upwardlyat 'an angle to the horizontal and beingopen at their upper ends andclosed at their'bo'ttom ends to thereby retain boltszm the bottom endsof the slotsin' proper positionto receive said mating member;

5. An electric water heater. comprising. 'a. tank having avertical wanand an opening: in; said wall, a coupling member'having' atubulaf'portion fixedly attached to said. wall imregistry with saidopening, an electric heater having a. mounting plate clamped to'saidceuplinglm'emher and having a heatingi'element extending through saidtubular'portion intosaidl tank, said coupling member'having' aperipheral flange dianosed in a vertical planeisdjacent said tubularportion, said flange having upper and lower slots, said upper slots andsaid lower slots being disposed above and below the horizontalcenterline of said tubular portion, respectively, each of said slotshaving a bolt received therein for clamping said mounting plate to saidflange, said slots extending at an angle to the horizontal and having aclosed bottom end to thereby retain the bolts in position to receivesaid mounting plate.

6. A water tank having a vertical wall provided with an opening, acoupling member having a tubularpo-rtion fixedly attached to said wallin registry with said opening and a peripheral flange disposed in avertical plane adjacent said tubular portion, said flange being adaptedto be clamped to an electric heater havinga mounting plate, said flangehaving upper and lower slots disposed, respectively, above and below thehorizontal centerline of the tubular portion, each of said slots havingan open end and being adapted to receive a bolt for clamping said flangeand said mounting plate together, each of said slots extendingdownwardly from said open end at an angle to the horizontal and having aclosed bottom end to thereby retain the bolts in position to receive themounting plate.

7. In combination, a vertical wall member having an opening therein, acoupling member having a tubular portion fixedly atached to said wall inregistry with said opening, and a mating member adapted to be clamped tosaid coupling mem- 6 her, said coupling member having a flange portiondisposed in a vertical plane adjacent one end of said tubular portion,said flange having upper and lower slots, said upper slots and saidlower slots being disposed above and below the horizontal centerline ofsaid tubular portion, respectively, a bolt extending through each ofsaid slots for clamping said mating member to said flange, said boltshaving their heads disposed between said flange and said wall, saidflange being spaced from said wall a distance less than the length ofsaid bolts, and each of said slots being disposed at an angle to thehorizontal and having an open upper end and a closed bottom end tothereby retain the bolts in position to receive said mating member. v

VINAL DALE THURSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany June 26, 1905

